Laine [60] showed that the reproduction of bilberry ( '' Vaccinium myrtillus '') depended to some extent on the climate in the previous years (see section 14.7.3 for examples of this in trees), whereas Shevtsova et al. [61] showed no such response for co-occurring lingonberry and crowberry ( '' Empetrum nigrum '').

Four dwarf shrubs were studied over the first three years of the experiment; one, the deciduous bilberry, showed increased annual stem growth (length) in the first year whereas two other evergreen dwarf shrubs (mountain crowberry – '' Empetrum hermaphroditum '' and lingonberry) showed reduced growth.